Coke extractor for vertical retort



Feb. 21, 1956 F. J. WEST ET AL COKE EXTRACTOR FOR VERTICAL RETORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1952 Feb. 21, 1956 F. J. WEST ET AL COKE EXTRACTOR FOR VERTICAL RETORT' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1952 r r '1 1r----L-------u COKE EXTRACTOR FOR VERTICAL RETORT Frederick Joseph West and Ernest West, Manchester, England, assignors to Wests Gas Improvement Company Limited, Manchester, England, a British company Application December 11, 1952, Serial No. 325,312

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 27, 1951 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-35) This invention relates to vertical retorts for the continuous carbonisation of coal and the like and and is concerned with the extractor by which the coke is withdrawn from the base of the retort as carbonisation proceeds.

Heretofore we have proposed and employed a coke extractor which has a slow oscillatory or back and forth movement, the door being substantially of step form, the riser of which had a part cylindrical extension cutting off the coke being extracted from the coke in the retort as extraction takes place.

The object of our present invention is to provide an improved construction of extractor which enables clear access to be obtained through the door to the interior of the retort for observation, scurfing, repair or other operations upon the retort, requires less power for its operation and gives a more continuous rate of coke extraction than the previous oscillatory extractor.

The invention consists in a coke extractor for a vertical retort for the carbonisation of coal and the like comprising two coke pockets or receptacles arranged back to back as a unitary structure with the pockets facing in opposite directions, each pocket extending beneath the retort for its whole length when it is in a receiving position, and the peripheral sides of the extractor that is from the leading edge of one pocket to the trailing edge of the other pocket being cylindrical, the extractor being carried by trunnions at its ends, with means for imparting a slow turning movement in one direction to the extractor, either intermittently or continuously, so that the upper pocket becomes the lower pocket and vice versa, and with a gap through the extractor where the bases of the two pockets come together, a pivoted door in said gap and locking means for the door.

The invention further comprises an extractor as aforesaid in which the top of the trailing side of each pocket (having regard to the direction of turning of the extractor) inclines away from the leading side of the pocket from one end to the other of the pocket, so that such trailing side as a cutting action as the extractor turns which facilitates the separation of the coke in the pocket from the coke in the retort.

The invention further comprises an extractor as aforesaid in which the leading side of each pocket can be in vertical alignment with a side of the retort at one position of the extractor.

The invention further comprises an extractor as aforesaid in which the door in the gap in the extractor is a grid held in the gap by a bolt extending through one of the trunnions of the extractor and operated from outside the coke chamber in which the extractor is mounted, the grid hanging from its pivot when the bolt is withdrawn therefrom.

The invention further comprises an extractor as aforesaid in which a clearance is provided around the extractor in the wall of the coke chamber at the side to which the upper pocket moves to eifect coke extraction.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing the bottom portion nited States Patent of a vertical retort, the coke chamber below and a coke extractor constructed in one convenient form in accord ance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view looking. from left to right of Figure 1 showing the access door or grid in the coke extractor open.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the coke extractor as shown in Figure l but drawn to a larger scale. Certain parts are shown in section.

Figure 4 is an. end view of the coke extractor looking from right to left in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an end View of the coke extractor looking from left to right in Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a is the lower portion of the vertical retort in which coal carbonisation is taking place and b is the coke chamber into which the coke extracted from the bottom of the retort is received and from which it is discharged at intervals in the usual way. There is a door c on the coke chamber which is opened to allow tools or the like to be passed up into the retort for repair or other purposes.

The coke extractor which receives coke from the retort and delivers it into the coke chamber has two pockets d and e therein and cylindrical walls 1 and g extending between the leading edge of one pocket to the trailing edge of the other having regard to the direction in which the extractor is turned as indicated by the arrow 11. The coke extractor is carried by trunnions i and j in the coke chamber walls and one trunnion i is used for turning the coke extractor slowly either continuously or intermittently by known means. A chain wheel k is shown secured to the trunnion i for turning the same.

At the part of the extractor where the bases of the two pockets d and e come together, we provide an open space m which is closed by what we call an access door or grid n. The latter is hinged at one end to the extractor and at its other end has a hole 0 therein into which the end of a bolt p which passes co-axially through the extractor and the trunnion j, can enter to hold the door or grid n in its service position as shown in Figures 1 and 3. When such bolt p is withdrawn from the hole 0 in the door or grid by screwing the studs q (Figure 3) through holes in the plate r secured upon the bolt p (the studs bearing against the fixed bearing member s), the door or grid can fall to a vertical position as shown in Figure 2, when access can be obtained to the retort above through the closure or door 0 on the coke chamber b.

As shown in Figure 1, each pocket has a leading side t and a trailing side u. The leading side may be vertical and be a continuation of a side of the retort above when the pocket which is receiving coke from the retort is in the position shown in Figure 1. If reference be made to Figure 3, it will be seen that the tips of the walls t and u of the top pocket (and the two pockets are the same) are inclined to the axis of the extractor. This is important in the case of the trailing wall it because it gives a cutting action on any coke which may be partly in the pocket as the extractor turns which aids in the proper separation of the coke in the pocket from the coke in the retort.

As shown in Figure 1 there is a gap at v between the extractor and the retort wall above at the loading side of the extractor. This facilitates the rotary movement of the extractor. An insert w in such gap and a bracket x serve to prevent any self discharge of coke around the extractor.

The ends y and z of the pockets are raised above the general level of the bottoms of the pockets as shown in Figure 4 and 5 to prevent coke passing out of the ends of the pockets.

With our improvements, there are two coke extraction operations curing each complete revolution of the coke extractor.

What we claim is:

1. A coke extractor for a vertical retort for the carbonisation of coal and the like comprising two coke pockets or receptacles arranged back to back as a unitary structure with the pockets facing in opposite directions, each pocket extending beneath the retort for its whole length and width when it is in a full receiving position, and the peripheral sides of the extractor when the leading edge of each pocket is in vertical alignment with a side of the retort, that is from the leading edge of one pocket to the trailing edge of the other pocket, being cylindrical, the extractor being carried by trunnions at its ends, the extractor being turned slowly in one direction, either intermittently or continuously, so that the upper pocket becomes the lower pocket and vice versa, and with a gap through the extractor where the bases of the two pockets come together, a pivoted door in said gap and locking means for the door.

2. A coke extractor as claimed in claim 1, in which the top of the trailing side of each pocket (having regard to the direction of turning of the extractor) inclines away from the leading side of the pocket from one end to the ration of the coke in the pocket from the coke in the retort.

3. A coke extractor as claimed in claim 1, in which the door in the gap in the extractor is a grid held in the gap by a bolt extending through one of the trunnions of the extractor and operated from outside the coke chamber in which the extractor is mounted, the grid hanging from its pivot when the bolt is withdrawn therefrom.

4. A coke extractor as claimed in claim 1, in which there is a clearance around the extractor in the wall of the coke chamber at the side to which the upper pocket moves to effect coke extraction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,121,551 Dobson Dec. 15, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS 394,323 Germany Apr. 17, 1924 341,857 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1931 

1. A COKE EXTRACTOR FOR A VERTICAL RETORT FOR THE CARBANISATION OF COAL AND THE LIKE COMPRISING TWO COKE POCKETS OR RECEPTACLES ARRANGED BACK TO BACK AS A UNITARY STRUCTURE WITH THE POCKETS FACING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, EACH POCKET EXTENDING BENEATH THE RETORT FOR ITS WHOLE LENGTH AND WIDTH WHEN IT IS IN A FULL RECEIVING POSITION, AND THE PERIPHERAL SIDES OF THE EXTRACTOR WHEN THE LEADING EDGE OF EACH POCKET IS IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH A SIDE OF THE RETORT, THAT IS FROM THE LEADING EDGE OF 